HGJFJTRDTeader-Response—

Focuses on the reader (or

"audience") and his or her
experience of a literary work, in
contrast to other schools and
theories that focus attention
primarily on the author or the
content and form of the
work.
eader-Response—Focuses on
the reader (or "audience") and
his or her experience of a
literary work, in
contrast to other schools and
theories that focus attention
primarily on the author or the
content and form of the
work.
Critical Approaches to Literature and Criticism

Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. It

the process of describing, analyzing, evaluating, or interpreting a specific literary work
or the works of a certain author in order to reveal any underlying ideas.

Literary criticism helps us to understand:

1. what is important about the text,

2. its structure, its context: social, economic, historical,
3. what is written and how the text manipulates the reader. Or The relationship
between the authors, readers and text.

One way to study literature is to apply specific lenses and look for certain concepts
or structures.

Critical Lenses are different perspectives through which the reader can “view” a text.

Reader-Response

HISTORY

Literary Theory has always acknowledged that reader’s role in creating the meaning
and experience of a literary work, modern reader response criticism began in the 1960s
and 1970s where it was especially popular in both the US and Germany.

 Reader-Response criticism offers a subjective, or egocentric reading of a text.

Egocentric refers to anything that regards the self of the individual as the center
of all things. And when we refer to something as “subjective” we mean that it
pertains to the individual (the reader). A subjective reading of a text is one in
which emphasis is placed on the attitude, moods, and opinions of the reader.
  Main argument of Reader Response Criticism is that a text has no meaning
before it is experienced by a reader or “read”

Reader-response emphasizes the reader's role in creating meaning from a

text. It is more of the reader’s own reaction to the text upon reading it that may be
influenced by his or her experiences. So, in short two different readers may
derive completely different interpretations of the same literary text.

Here are some key points about reader-response:

 Focus on the Reader: Unlike traditional criticism that prioritizes the author's
intent or the text itself, reader-response centers on the reader's experience and
interpretation.

 Active Participation: Reader-response theory suggests readers are not passive

consumers. They actively engage with the text, bringing their own experiences,
knowledge, and biases to influence how they understand the work.

 Multiple Meanings: Reader-response acknowledges that a text can have

multiple valid interpretations based on each reader's unique perspective.

Strengths of this theory:

1. Recognizes the importance of the reader and reading as an intellectual and

active activity.
2. Give readers the freedom to provide meaning to a text, allowing them for multiple
interpretations of a text.

Weaknesses of this theory:

1. No one controls the meaning of a text. There is no objective party to assist

readers if they don’t agree with one another. Also, there is no objective way fro
people, such as teachers, to evaluate responses fairly because how can one
 person say that another reader’s interpretation is wrong even though that reader
may not really understand the text?

Reader Response – Questions to ask for Literary Criticism:

1. How do you feel about this text? Why did you like/dislike it?
2. Explain how the text connects to an experience you have had.
3. Why do you think the characters acted as they did?
4. In a similar situation, how would you have behaved?
5. Who do you think is the intended reader for this selection?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Reader-Response Example: "Florante at Laura" by Francisco Balagtas

Let's consider a reader-response approach to a classic Filipino text, "Florante at Laura"

by Francisco Balagtas.

This epic poem narrates the story of Florante, a nobleman falsely accused of treason,
and his unwavering love for Laura, who remains faithful despite pressure to marry
another.

Reader 1 (Raised in a Patriarchal Society): When we say patriarchal Society, relating

to or characteristic of a system of society or government controlled by men. This reader
might emphasize the importance of female submissiveness and loyalty, as shown by
Laura's unwavering devotion to Florante. They may find comfort in the restored social
order and the triumph of good over evil.

Reader 2 (Modern Feminist Perspective): This reader might criticize the portrayal of
Laura as passive and dependent on Florante. They may focus on the societal pressures
Laura faces and the limitations placed on women.
Reader 3 (Historical Context): This reader might consider the poem's reflection of pre-
colonial Filipino society, highlighting themes of honor, loyalty, and the fight against
injustice. They may appreciate the complex social dynamics and cultural values
embedded in the text.

Each reader, shaped by their background and experiences, will bring a unique
perspective to the text, creating a valid and personal interpretation.

Feminist Criticism

HISTORY OF FEMINISM

 The First wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity during the 19th and
early 20th century in the United Kingdom, Canada and United States.
 Basic Assumption is, "Men and women have separate, biologically, determined
roles and duties in society, Women works in Private Sphere, then men is the
Public Sphere."

Women widely are considered to be:

1. Intellectually inferior
2. Physically weak
3. Emotional, intuitive, irrational.
4. Suited to the role of wives and mothers.
5. Women could not vote.
6. They were not educated at school/Universities and could only work in manual
jobs.
7. A married women's profits and salary were owned by her husband.
8. Rape and physical abuse are legal within marriage.
9. Divorce available to men but far more difficult to women.
10. Women had no rights to their children
 Second Wave of Feminism
The second wave of feminism which occurred in 1960-1980, came as a response
to the experience of women after world war 2. It dealt with inequality of laws,
woman achieved championed abortion rights, reproductive, Freedom and other
women's health issues.

Basic Assumption,
1. Society is patriarchal
2. Women may have legal Rights but they slare still treated as inferior.
3. Women should be equal to men in all respect.

Third wave of Feminism

• The third wave of feminism emerged in the mid 1990s. The third was wave
feminism borrowed from post-structural and contemporary gender and race
theories to expand on marginalized population's experience.

What is Feminist Criticism?

• Feminist criticism is concerned with the ways in which literature reinforce or
undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of
women.
 Feminist Criticism is the literary and critical theory that explores the bias in the
favor of the male gender in literature and which reexamines all literature from a
Feminist point of view.

The Feminist Criticism has two basic promises, that is:

1) Women presented in literature by male writer from male point of views. - This
refers to how women are often portrayed in literature written by men, reflecting a
male perspective.
2) Women presented in writing of female writers from Female point of views. -
delves into the power of female authorship. Here, women are presented from
 their own perspectives and experiences. Female writers can explore the
complexities of womanhood, female relationships, and societal pressures on
women in a more nuanced way.

Feminist criticism aims to understand the nature of inequality and focus on

analyzing gender equality and the promotion of women's Rights, on how women
are portrayed, how they function, behave, are limited/privileged for being women.

STRENGTH

1. For centuries, women in literature, the roles of both men and women and how
they were represented were not a focus of literary criticism. This theory finally
examines how women and men are presented and deals with the importance of
women in literature.

Weaknesses

1. If this theory is the only one applied to a text, it can be rather limiting. It only
examines one element of the text.

Feminist - – Questions to ask for Literary Criticism:

1. How are women represented in the text?

2. What roles do men and women play within family, work situations, etc?
3. What are the historical conditions for women in this period that might help us
understand their roles in the text?
4. How and to what degree are women’s lives limited or restricted in this text?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Traditional Reading: On the surface, "Florante at Laura" can be seen as a story about
unwavering loyalty and heroism. Florante, the male protagonist, endures suffering and
injustice, while Laura, the female protagonist, remains faithful despite being pressured
to marry another.

Feminist Critique: A feminist reading would delve deeper into the portrayal of gender
roles and power dynamics. Here are some questions a feminist critic might ask:

 Is Laura simply a passive damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by

Florante? Does the story limit her agency or potential for action?
 How does the poem depict female beauty standards? Are women valued
primarily for their beauty, or are there other aspects of their character explored?
 What are the societal expectations placed on women in the story? Is there
any commentary on these expectations, or are they simply accepted?

Further Analysis: The feminist critic might argue that while the poem celebrates loyalty
and resilience, it also reinforces certain gender stereotypes. Laura's primary role might
be seen as one of suffering and waiting, with less emphasis on her own strength or
resourcefulness.

Gender Criticism/Queer Theory

- Gender Criticism: Evolved from feminist literary criticism in the 1970s. It

challenged the male gaze in literature and explored how gender roles and power
dynamics shaped narratives. is an extension of feminist literary criticism
- Queer Theory: Emerged in the 1990s, building on gender criticism. It questioned
the categories of gender and sexuality, particularly the binary of male/female and
homosexual/heterosexual. Heterosexual, often shortened to "straight," means
someone is attracted to people of the opposite sex. Homosexual describes
someone who is attracted to people of the same sex.
- Gender Criticism's Role: It exposes limitations imposed by gender stereotypes
and patriarchal structures. It seeks to amplify marginalized voices and explore
the spectrum of gender experiences. - This idea challenges the idea that It
doesn't just see men as having all the power and women as powerless victims.
 Instead, it argues that power is more complex. Men and women, and everyone
else, can influence each other in many ways. It show that there's a lot more
variety in how people experience gender than what stereotypes typically portray.
- Queer Theory's Role: Examines how texts reinforce or subvert gender binaries,
explores the representation of LGBTQ+ experiences, and questions the very
definition of "normal" sexuality. - It dives into how stories and other creative
works can portray gender. It looks at whether these works stick to the idea of
there only being two genders, male and female, or if they challenge that notion. It
also explores how these works show the lives of LGBTQ+ people, and whether
they represent them in a realistic way.

Strengths:

Both lenses offer a deeper understanding of power dynamics, marginalization, and

the complexities of identity. They encourage a more nuanced reading of characters
and narratives.

Weaknesses:

Queer theory's complex terminology might pose a challenge for some readers.

Questions to Ask in Literary Criticism:

Gender Criticism:

How are gender roles portrayed?

How are characters limited by or defy gender expectations?

Whose voices are silenced and whose perspectives are dominant?

Queer Theory:

How are categories of gender and sexuality defined/challenged in the text?

 How does the text represent LGBTQ+ experiences (if at all)?

Does the text promote heteronormativity or offer alternative possibilities?

Marxist Criticism

It originates from the works of the 19 th centuries German Philosophers Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engles. Focuses on how literary works are products of the economic and
ideological determinants specific to that era. Critics examine the relationship of a literary
product to the actual economic and social reality of its time and place including:

1. Class stratification – which means that certain tasks in society are more
valuable than others.
2. Class relations – which concerns the authority relationships based on
property relationship.
3. and dominant ideology – basically the rich vs poor issues.

Marxist Criticism is the belief that literature reflects this class struggle and
materialism.

It tries to understand how POWER, POLITICS and MONEY play a role in literary
texts and how these elements impact the society and characters in the text.
Class struggle between the rich and the poor. Between the more superior and
the less superior.

Strength
This theory encourages careful reading of a text. It also does not limit a reader to
view the text in isolation but allows the reader to think about the text in its social,
historical, and current contexts.
 Weaknesses
The main concern some readers may have about this theory is that it only
examines a limited aspect of the text. Some people feel threatened by the focus
on “ideology”. It dismisses the beauty of writing and does not allow the reader to
simply enjoy the text.

Marxist – Questions to ask for Literary Criticism

1. What or whose ideological values structure the text? How are these evident?
2. Who has power in texts? How does this power operate and change as the
text progresses?
3. To what degree does the protagonist or other characters believe in and live
by the prevailing social order? What are the social forces that affect the
author’s writing or the text’s marketing and reception?
4. At what point do characters recognize the oppressiveness of the prevailing
social order? How do they respond? What affects their options for changing
things?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MARXIST CRITICISM

• It promotes the idea that literature should be a tool in the revolutionary struggle.
• It attempts to clarify the relationship of literary work to social reality. It is political
in nature.
• It aims to arrive at an interpretation of literary text to define the political
dimensions of literary work.
• It believes that the literary work has ALWAYS a relationship to the society.
• It judges literature by how it represents the main struggles for power going on
that time, how it may influence those struggles.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Here's how Marxist criticism can be applied to the song title "Upuan" by Gloc-9.
• Gloc 9's song "Upuan" supports the idea of Marxist such as politics and class
distinction.

• As we know one of the common problems in the Philippines is about corruption and
one of the most affected of that problem is the poor sector of the society. That is why
the composer tries to interpret the song as a commentary of our society.

• In the lyrics:

"Kayo po na nakaupo

Subukan nyo namang tumayo

At baka matanaw at baka matanaw ninyo

Ang tunay na kalagayan ko"

It reveals how individuals from the lower classes are calling on those in power to get up
and realize what lies underneath them, to stop being ignorant and to recognize how
people suffer as a result of their rule. The phrase "kayo po na nakaupo" alludes to
persons in positions of power, such as those "seated" in Malacañang or government
officials.

Moreover, the song illustrates the class distinction between the life of the higher-class
and lower-class. The life of the government officials is described in the line

"Malaking bahay at malawak na bakuran

Mataas na pader pinapaligiran

At naka pilang mga mamahaling sasakyan"

"Mga plato't kutsara na hindi kilala ang tutong

At ang kanin ay simputi ng gatas na nasa kahon

At kahit na hindi pasko sa lamesa ay may hamon."

The lives of the lower-class, on the other hand is illustrated in the line:

"Alam niyo bang pantakal ng bigas namin ay di puno

Ang ding-ding ng bahay namin ay pinagtagpi-tagping yero

Sa gabi ay sobrang init na tumutunaw ng yelo

Na di kayang bilhin upang ilagay sa inumin

Pinakulong tubig sa lumang takuring uling-uling

Gamit lang panggatong na inanod lamang sa istero

Na nagsisilbing kusina sa umaga'y aming banyo"

We can plainly distinguish between the wealthy and the poor. The rich grow richer,
while the poor get poorer. Politicians live a privileged lifestyle and can do anything with
the power they possess. People from the lower classes, on the other hand, cry out for
help since they are experiencing extreme hardship in the society to which both classes
belong. They beg for help for the people behind those high walls, who live in a house
and drive nice cars. Those who hold the position, which has been given to them by the
people who gave their trust.

Historical Criticism

Began in the late 19th / Early 20th centuries. Originated in Universities in the US and
Britain.
  It is a form of literary criticism that explores the historical, social, political, and
cultural context surrounding the creation and reception of a work of literature.
 It uses history and the author’s views as a means of understanding a literary
work more clearly. Literary criticism in the light of historical evidence or based on
the context in which a work was written, including facts about the authors’ life and
the historical and social circumstances of the time.
 It is a branch of criticism that investigates the origins of ancient text in order to
understand “the world behind the text”
 historical criticism has also been applied to other religious writings from various
parts of the world and periods of history.

Historical-critical methods are the specific procedures:

1. Examine the text’s historical origins, such as the time, the place in which the text
was written, its sources. - This delves into the context surrounding the text's
creation. It asks questions like: When was the text written? Where was it
written? Who was the intended audience? These details provide crucial
background information that can influence the meaning and interpretation of the
text. Understanding the historical context helps us see how the text might reflect
the social, political, and cultural environment of its time.
2. Examine the events, dates, persons, places, things and customs that are
mentioned or implied in the text. - This step investigates the materials the author used
to create the text. Did they rely on earlier documents? Were there any oral traditions they
incorporated? Identifying the sources can shed light on the author's purpose and
perspective.

By analyzing these historical origins and sources, we gain a deeper understanding of the text's
foundation and potential biases.

Guide Question:
 1. What specific events were happening when the work was being written?
2. What historical events does the work deal with?
3. In what ways did history influence the writer’s outlook, style and diction?
4. In what ways did the writer alter historical events?
5. What political beliefs does the author seem to have and what beliefs does the
author dislike?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by Dr. Jose Rizal

Historical Context: Published in 1887, Noli Me Tangere is a scathing critique of

Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. Rizal, a reformist, wrote the novel during a
period of growing unrest and nationalism in the Philippines.

Historical Criticism Analysis:

A historical critic would examine the novel's characters and plot in relation to the
social and political realities of the Philippines under Spanish rule.

For instance, the corrupt government officials and oppressive practices depicted in
the novel mirror the abuses Filipinos faced during colonization.

The rise of nationalism and calls for reform experienced in the Philippines at the time
would be seen as influencing Rizal's portrayal of Crispin, a young boy who rebels
against injustice.

The critic might also look at how Rizal incorporated historical figures or events, even
subtly, to strengthen the novel's critique of colonialism.

Jose Rizal came up with the stories of his novel like el feli and noli me tangere because
of the social historical background of the Philippines during his time. During that period
the Spanish colonized our country and that’s what inspired Doctor Jose Rizal to write
his famous novels.
Western culture: male/ female,
heterosexual/ homosexual, etc.
by which the first category is
assigned privilege,
power, and centrality, while the
second is derogated,
subordinated, and margin
Queer Theory—Combined area
of gay and lesbian studies and
criticism, including studies of
variations in
biological sex, gender identity,
and sexual desires. Emphasis on
dismantling the key binary
oppositions of
Western culture: male/ female,
heterosexual/ homosexual, etc.
by which the first category is
assigned privilege,
power, and centrality, while the
second is derogated,
subordinated, and marginalized
1. Queer Theory—Combined
area of gay and lesbian
studies and criticism,
including studies of
variations in
2. biological sex, gender
identity, and sexual desires.
 Emphasis on dismantling the
key binary oppositions of
3. Western culture: male/
female, heterosexual/
homosexual, etc. by which
the first category is assigned
privilege,
4. power, and centrality,
while the second is
derogated, subordinated, and
marginali
5. Queer Theory—Combined
area of gay and lesbian
studies and criticism,
 including studies of
variations in
6. biological sex, gender
identity, and sexual desires.
Emphasis on dismantling the
key binary oppositions of
7. Western culture: male/
female, heterosexual/
homosexual, etc. by which
the first category is assigned
privilege,
8. power, and centrality,
while the second is
derogated, subordinated, and
marginalized.
9. Queer Theory—Combined
area of gay and lesbian
studies and criticism,
including studies of
variations in
10. biological sex, gender
identity, and sexual desires.
Emphasis on dismantling the
key binary oppositions of
11. Western culture: male/
female, heterosexual/
homosexual, etc. by which
the first category is assigned
privilege,
12. power, and centrality,
while the second is
derogated, subordinated, and
marginalized